Do not touch animals

Highly contagious: “rabbit plague” discovered on a farm

In November 2023, tularemia was detected in a hare for the first time in Carinthia.

(Bild: P. Huber)

Tularemia (hare plague) has been detected in a hare in the city of Klagenfurt. The disease is also highly contagious for humans - animals should not be touched!

"Animals found dead or appearing sick should not be touched, or only with gloves and a mask," warns the province of Carinthia. A dead hare was found on a farm in the city of Klagenfurt. The Institute for Food Safety, Veterinary Medicine and Environment of the Province of Carinthia (ILV) diagnosed tularaemia, better known as "hare plague", in the dead animal. 

Beware of trusting animals
Tularemia occurs especially in wild hares, rabbits and rodents such as mice, rats and squirrels. Diseased animals usually lack their natural flight behavior and their movements are often uncoordinated. In many cases, "rabbit plague" is fatal for the animals. 

Caution is advised!
Infected animals can also transmit the disease to humans. The disease can be transmitted to humans through smear infections (fur, blood or excrement), but also by inhaling dust containing the pathogen. The incubation period can last up to 14 days before symptoms appear, although the disease can develop in very different ways: Lymph node swelling, fever, headache and aching limbs as well as vomiting, abdominal pain or severe pneumonia are the consequences.

Report to the district administrative authority
The province of Carinthia therefore appeals to the Carinthian population not to touch animals. Dog owners are also asked to keep their four-legged friends on a lead when out walking. If a dead hare is found, the district administration or the municipal authorities should be informed immediately. 

Last year, 24 cases of the disease in humans were reported in Austria. In November 2023, tularemia was detected in a hare for the first time in Carinthia.